YEREVAN, May 13. /ARKA/. Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian has signed a number of decrees on Saturday appointing all members of the new Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the presidential press service said.
Mher Grigoryan, former Ardshinbank board chairman, was appointed deputy prime minister. Davit Tonoyan is Minister of Defense. Armenia’s former ambassador to UN Zohrab Mnatsakanyan was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Mane Tandiliyan from Pashinyan’s Yelk parliamentary faction, was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Artak Zeynalyan of the same faction will head the Ministry of Justice. Former deputy finance minister Atom Janjughazyan will serve as Minister of Finance. Arsen Torosyan was appointed as Health Minister.
Former governor of the Shirak region, Artur Khachatryan, will head the Ministry of Agriculture; former nature protection minister, Artsvik Minasyan – the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments. Both are members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun). Levon Vahradyan will serve as the country’s Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.
Suren Papikyan will head the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, Arayik Harutyunyan – the Ministry of Education and Science.
Former sports minister Hrachya Rostomyan was appointed Emergencies Minister, Artur Grigoryan is new Minister of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources, Lilit Makunts is Culture Minister, Erik Grigoryan is Minister of Nature Protection, Ashot Hakobyan is Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technology, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan was appointed Minister of Diaspora.
Earlier Valery Osipyan was appointed chief of Police and Artur Vanetsyan- director of the National Security Service.
Armenia's Parliament on May 8 elected opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan to become the country's next prime minister. Lawmakers elected Pashinyan by a 59-42 vote after a leader of the ruling Republican Party, Vahram Baghdasarian, announced his party would give Pashinyan 11 votes, which helped put him over the top. –0—